Ark 25/Episode 41: Lesson Number One
Participants ROGUE-women-of-the-x-26476741-746-1171.jpg|Domini Ogen.png|Tomasaburo Tamahome2.jpg|Aki 5d7f59c521543226161b79c60b77022e.jpg|Sayuri 2f96282dfafd1b0347ae3226bbca8841.jpg|Sian Mina.jpg|Mina Akagi Ayane1.jpg|Ayane Miyamosho vvgfhhgngjhgbjjhhhhhfdhgygvv_by_musane-d89yc1z.png|Suijin The Arrival Imperial Palace.jpg “You’re late…” a voice from behind Domini would say, the young hime herself allowing her lavender eyes to look up from the satellite phone that Tomoko Tetsu had given she, Sian, Leon, and Zack upon her brief visit to Kasaihana several months back to see just who it was that was addressing her. “Just how long do you plan on dallying in that bed young lady?” the elder empress, her grandmother Tomasaburo asked plainly. Her own emerald spheres washing onto the form of her silver red haired granddaughter sitting in bed with her pajamas on as she entered her room inside of the Imperial Palace dressed in her usual royal regalia, her silver while hair pulled up neatly in a typical Asian styled bun. Domini looks to the old woman and sighed placing her right hand against her stomach, “He’s not picking up Oba-san, I’ve tried his communicator and his cell phone but he’s not answering either one; I…I...I need to tell him.” “I understand that you do child, but if you aren’t able to get through to him its best that you leave your beloved Leon a message and move on. After all Lady Sian made this request via you to be trained by myself and the other elders, and seeing as she is your company a consort of royalty I think it rude of you not to get up, get dressed, and be prepared to greet her upon her arrival. Don’t you, hmm?” Domini could only nod to the old woman’s word agreeing to them with her gaze still upon the phone, the background of the screen begin a picture of her and Leon on the day she graduated med school, receiving her doctorate down in New Nexus Florida, the backlight on the screen going off leaving Domi to her thoughts. ‘Leon just where on earth have you gotten off to?’ she wondered also knowing that it was so unlike him not call too. Tomasaburo calling out “Come child we haven’t all day.” “Hai, Oba-san.” She called back, giving the covers a quick tug back in order to turn towards left, placing her feet on the floor she moves to stand, fingers using the communicator given her to type out a quick message that stated: Saiai, message me back as soon as you get this. There’s something I have to tell you. ~Love Domi and pressing send before heading towards the bath as to get ready for her guest. Not even aware that at this point and time that she and Leon Ryoji were worlds apart. Outside of the palace things the norm of things had been disrupted by the arrival of several members of the Takageuchi from the clan’s ancestral home just east of the city. Mina Akagi emerged from her vehicle with her usual somber some expression on her lovely, glasses perched face, the High Warrior dressed in leather tank top, leather pants with a skull chain like belt about her waist, and black combat boots on her feet. On her right hand she wore a solitary black glove with spike on it which was cut off at the fingers. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of her neck while the rest flowed freely as her violet eyes glanced forward only see Ayane Miyamosho dressed in punk gothic sorta fashion walking in the direction of their other cousin, Sayuri and her husband Aki. Extending her arms outwards Sayu would embrace the second eldest of the two smiling, actually happy that both woman finally accepted her invitation. “Aya, its good to see you.” “Likewise Sayu…its be what 3 years since the wedding and a year since the coronation.” “Correct.” “Aki,” Ayane states addressing him formally with a bow. Prompting the Emperor to laugh as he shook his head protest to her action “No, no Ayane nothing formal remember we’re family. It’s good to see you both again especially you Mina.” The eldest of the three having walked up to the rest the group while they were in midst of formalities. “Its good to be seen, you two must really get out of this glass doll house and hang out with rest of the family.” 40 year old descendant of Akira Akagi said. Sayuri replying, “Trust me we’ve been trying to but you know how the fuck politicians are. “Cant do shit without ya?” “Uh-huh.” “Could’ve figured.” Mina laughed, as Ayane chuckled before asking. “So has the reason for us being gathered here arrived yet cuz?” “We just received word that her shuttle just landed at Tokyo International.” “That sounds about right, still can’t believe our Domini wants us to help an onihoruda.” Retorted Mina to which Ayane added “I take everything I said back, THIS really must have our ancestor really turning over in their graves at what were about do now.” “I would have agree, ladies but Sian isn’t just any onihoruda she is the vassal to the Guardian of the East; Of Suijin-sama herself. It would be wrong of us not to help her in breaking the second seal of power and bring about the ends to a means that is so desperately needed by both in order for the grand design the Gods have created to succeed.” Aki would interject looking at all three of the women each of the power triangle. “As the force we now face isn’t the Olympus but that of one madman who will stop at nothing to destroy us along any other that aid the Kasaihana teens. Mina and Ayane couldn’t help but agree with him. “So it’s decided then, we help Sian train and embrace all that is necessary mentally, spiritually, and physically to become a true onihoruda?” Sayuri asks looking at her elder cousins for their approval her own sea-green eyes spying the car coming up to the gate of the massive crystal fortress that was the Imperial Palace that had been sent to get Sian from the airport by them earlier on that day. “Can’t believe I’m saying this…but yea agreed.” Mina said. Ayane reluctantly giving in with a simple, “I feel ya Mina but yeah I’m in.” just as the car began it stroll up the drive way. “Very well ladies, let the training begin…” A smirk fell upon Sayuri’s lips, the empress stepping back some as the others took to the air as to get into position at various points of the palace to prepare for the first lesson just the vehicle came to a halted several feet or so out from where they awaited. One Alone is not Enough…You need both Together The ride from the airport had been nothing more than one breathless sight after another as Sian continuous looked outside of the window of the 2140 model black Sudan like a child in candy store. Not only was she complete intrigued to finally be able to officially see 2nd Soul ahead of the International Tour, Terry had planned for the band in regards to their current album but also with another factor as the moment she entered Tokyo’s air space something very unexpected happened. The 21 year old noted glancing over in the direction of a woman who with luminescent pale skin with scales of winter green, pale yellow, and blue on the right side of frame dressed in regale kimono upon her form of 5’7 with long black hair and yellow serpent eyes and who up until a little while ago was nothing more than a ghost to her, her own moon blue orbs leered suspiciously at her prompting Suijin to turn her head as she felt she were being leered at to say, “What? Don’t give me that look Sian I’m just as surprised as you are…” “Ha I bet you are.” Sian muttered under her breath as they traveled. “I heard that…” “Who gives a damn!” the raven haired spit fire declared. Sparking a fight that would damn near last all the way to their destination…The Imperial Palace of Japan where they would be meeting up with the elders of the Takageuchi, yup that’s right the current heads of the three families said to be the descendants of an Oni Lord themselves. From there she would be taken to the family’s ancestral home due east of there so that she could immediately begin her training with the High Warrior herself, Mina Akagi…also rumored to be the reincarnation of that very same ancestor that had destroyed Tokyo so long ago. Something that Suijin had made known during the weeks of preparation that she was completely against due to the clan having slain so many of her own children, Sian’s relatives over the millenas. But for Sian she was completely out of options, the only person who could’ve trained her Keyth Tasanagi, had been imprisoned in a crystal back during the Sector Games and taken most likely into the Underworld along with Densuke Ryoji as well. Both technically lost to them all now that Hades was dead. So the Takageuchi was it…. her last hope to get the impossible done. Even it went against everything they stood for she had to break this last hurdle in order to be fully prepared for this hopefully last and greatest battle against their most formidable opponent yet. Yani Farhan. After several hours of riding the car would approach a gate made of translucent like metal the likes Sian had only seen before in one other place before, on Raitoeji Leon’s sword. “Diamonite…” She’d hear Suijin say suddenly after falling silent in the midst of their fighting earlier. “Created in the forges of Hachiman-sama as the ultimate metal of the Gods, it made to resist the greatest of force from any object or weapon thus rendering it unbreakable and if applied to a weapon virtually indestructible, as it increases the user’s power by 10 folds. No doubt that when that priestess went into that owatto where we found her that day, and prayed to the gods for their aid in regards to her lover she hadn’t a clue as to what she was asking for.” Sian had to agree with her after hearing the explanation she’d just heard. “Let’s just pray for both of our sake’s we never end up on the other end of it.” Suijin retorted motioning her arms up and over her lush bosom folding her arms the moment the car proceeded further down the driveway towards the palace’s front doors. The car stopping about a third of a way in and the driving informing them that this is where they would disembark. Both of the women looking at one another as if to ask “what the fuck” of the other before Sian would shrug her shoulders, placing her right hand upon the makings of the door’s handle, pulling it forward towards her, and pushing the door open thus enabling her to get out placing first her right foot onto the ground soon followed by her left. The 21 year pushing up with ease in order to standing placing carefully one foot forward in front of the other enabling Suijin to emerge from the vehicle a sight that made Mina, Ayane, and Sayuri all narrow their eyes in complete perplexities as no onihoruda they’ve ever seen before inside or outside of their barrier had never so literally been beside themselves. It was a total blow away to the three! “Holy fuck do you guys see what I see???” Mina voice would’ve asked through the communicator that was a charm on her spiked choker. “Hai…is that Sian AND Suijin-sama, separated from each other?” Ayane asked gazing at the two from another part of the castle. Sayuri who couldn’t account as to why the two were separated as opposed to being unified both body and soul could only come up with one or reasoning for it. “I’m beginning to see just why she’s having so much trouble making it to the next tier of things…” the empress’ eyes noting that several key points on Sian’s body were blocked most likely by emotional trauma that had been pinned up in the young woman’s heart and mind over the years. As she had learned through her encounters with Tomoko Tetsu that both she and Sian had been resurrected from the grave at least once or twice by either man made devices or divine intervention by the Gods. Such events along with a failed mating to the Dragon Lord, Garyx’s onihoruda and being assaulted physically by his brother that were bound to prevent the psychosomatic shock that would’ve triggered itself when Sian needed the most in heat of combat in order bring the second seal’s eradication. Something now that she and her cousins had been charged with the task of her helping her reach. In order for her to reach the final point where even they would have trouble exterminating her if she were to get out of control or taking over. Sayuri realized as Aki gently places his right hand upon her shoulder, causing her gaze upwards into his handsome face only to see him smiling. A reassurance that all would be alright as he steps forward from where they stood in order to greet the pair while the others prepared for the very first lesson that Sian unknowingly was about to undergo. “Greetings to you both Suijin-sama and Sian Tetsu, I welcome you both to 2nd Soul Tokyo. I am Aki Asahina, Emperor of this nation.” The young nobleman said introducing himself formally bowing to both women. Sian following suit as a sign of respect for her elders as well as Aki being one of the rulers of this country while Suijin on the other hand just looked at the young man unphased fully aware that his bow was more so out of respect for her than her charge standing to the left of her. “Thank you son of Amaterasu, Tis good to be home again after being away for over millennia” the Lady asks of him rather quickly as she was beginning to spy that something was amidst here. “Tell me what has happened here in Japan…why is reishi here unlike any other places I and my charged have traveled to so powerful and where are the others?” Suijin noted as everything around them was quiet perhaps a bit more than she herself would’ve liked it, personally. The oni’s perception of their surroundings at the moment once she stood up right again causing Sian to become a bit wary as she would using just her eyes to survey the area around them for any sign of the owners of the two hover vehicles parked to the far right of them. “I assure you Suijin-sama they are nearby. Domini however is running a tad bit late but I am sure she and my mother will be here shortly.” “Your majesty how is Domini? Resting I hope.” Asked Sian. Aki would’ve sighed upon the mention of the young woman he’d adopted to become his daughter. “If only that were true Lady Sian, she is still as busy as ever if not worst. She has told me of matters between she and Leon are going well, they’ve spoken of the future which is bright if I add. But I would feel more at ease if he were to come here and speak with me man to man as I understand just what in the hell he’s thinking.” “Well if you can’t get him to come to 2nd Soul why don’t you bring 2nd Soul your majesty?” It was an honest question Sian raised to Aki who at one point or another had thought of leaving home and returning to Kasaihana in order to speak and spend time with the man that could one day father his grandchildren. “Its original ideal Lady Sian, I’ll consider it then.” The young emperor stated gesturing for the two women to follow him towards the entrance which they did. “As you question Suijin-sama, the high levels of reishi being birthed here begin sometime after the last World War. No one truly knows just why or how it happened though those that live here believed that Japan is highly favored by the Shinto Gods, so much that they opened up a door from Fumei onto us blessing us with the powers of the spirit and in doing so allowed the elders of the Takageuchi from that time period to form a barrier of an in penetrative force that is upheld by those of today.” As they all walked. Suijin mused, “Interesting, very interesting perhaps I should’ve come home sooner.” Giving both the emperor and Sian a grin, the 21 year old rolling her eyes somewhat the oni still unable to shake the feeling that something was about jump the fuck off here and even curious still was the fact that Domini had yet to join them. Sayuri paced herself carefully still standing back in the shadows watching all of these things as a miko approached her carrying with her a traditional red Saigu-Yumi (a sacred bow) and a quiver of Hamaya (sacred arrows). Each of course being imbued with a great amount of her own spiritual power to destroy, disable, purify or seal away an oni or its powers be it her wish to do either of these once they touch her hand and are fired at their intended targets. Which she took from girl carefully placing the arrows on her person with ease before drawing her right hand back to grasp the tip of an arrow, extract it, and aligning it against her bow before taking aim at her target namely Sian and completely letting the arrow go soaring into the air. The holy white light of her spiritual power encasing it causing it look like a star shooting at unnatural speeds across an endless plane. The intent that Sayuri imprinted upon it being that of destroy what normally would be considered a threat to her but at the moment was test to see if both oni and onihoruda could pull themselves together as one again successful to overcome the large amounts of reishi that covered the city and work together to fight against her, Mina, and Ayane. (http://31.media.tumblr.com/c213cb6ab44772deebad8bcb83fd2384/tumblr_mieae31ias1s1226io1_500.gif) A Unified Front Suijin immediately sensing a threat to her vassal quickly reached for the girl with jerk to the back of her shirt just in time see the first of the holy arrows fly by her as Sian declared, “Suijin what the hell?!” the arrow exploding on contact with the ground “Silence you blithering idiot cant you see that we’re under attack!” the serpentine goddess declared. Sian taking note of the explosion as Sayu watched with interest as she motioned her right hand towards the quiver upon her back again somewhere once first arrow exploded at the midpoint of its destination to grab a few more in order to launch them in the same manner, thus signaling to Mina that it was her turn to join into the matter. The High Warrior wasting no time in using the power of her own spirit to bring forth the holy blade of the clan, The Soul Galactica to launch several blade like attacks in their direction each with enough power to decimate at least 2 high rise buildings with a single slice with at least A1 accuracy and precision as the next line of arrows made their way in the same direction. Prompting Sian to begin at least some form of invasive action using her a combination water bending and ice manipulation techniques via using her ability to project ice made kunai in several directions seeing as she was unarmed and without a weapon missing her targets complete. Something that made the 21 year look back at Suijin who was also in disbelief. “Orgins no anata no chikara o shiyō suru koto ga dekimasen watashi wa yukion'na o sanshō shite kudasai. (A bit rusty with using your original powers I see yuki-onna…)” Mina taunted immediately striking a nerve that stirred Sian to angry rather quickly not once during her speaking did she cease her attacks as both she and Suijin ran about the front lawn using the base of their powers give as much coverage to one another that they could against them. But both still getting caught out in the all attacks being given and several of the blast that were coming from the north (Sayu) and western (Mina) directions causing them both to catch some several if not fatal damage. “Haha why don’t you both give up now and save us all the headache of training someone that’s so pathetically weak?” the brunette went even further to say concluding that it was in fact member of the Takageuchi was launching this shameless attack against them both. “Kiodai no baishunpu wa, anata wa suitei watashitachi no shita ni aete shinaide kudasai (Whore of Kiodai don’t you DARE under estimate us)!” Suijin hissed stepping in front Sian in order to give the girl a chance after begin blasted into a nearby bush and almost loosing an arm to gather herself while she herself stood a tai chi stance her hands moving in such a fluid grace one would think that she were dancing instead of being in mist of a battle, the serpentine goddess giving a casual flick of her wrists as the water to which she infused with her venom in the surrounding areas about them began to act like a whip repealing the arrows (actually incinerating them) that Sayuri was simultaneously firing at them with expert precision. The oni using her peripheral line of vision as she did this to see if Sian was back up onto her feet and the moment that she was she would use her head to gesture toward the area of the palace where Ayane was hidden carefully planning the next wave the attack against them. Sian of course catching on to the gesture and taking off in that direction the raven hair beauty doing a series of somersaults and cartwheels to avoid the blades of energy that Mina was sending towards her as Sayuri immediately shifting her aim from Suijin to the girl only to have the Lady intercept with ice kunai ultimately striking her hand as she moved it to clasp another arrow. Sayuri would swear the moment the shard of ice made contact with her the back of her hand the oni’s words of, “I've had all can I about stand from you impudent creatures this end here and n…” echoing in her ear the priestess looking to her hand in order to see if indeed she had been poisoned only to discover that when she looked up Suijin-sama was gone mostly like having return to the body of her onihoruda after being acknowledged by the gods that they deserved to be unified together as one, and on the same front. And Sian pushing off from the ground onto the section of the palace where she could cease Ayane was and instantly entering into combat against the 39 year old, and without a doubt despite having years of training ahead of her, she literally letting Aya have it before coming back down with batter woman tossed up over her shoulders and sneer on her lovely face as she approaches the Empress rather unhappy. "If this is how you treat your guests your majesty, then by all means I'd really hate to be your enemy." Sian tells her with narrowing gaze, the rapid sounds of someone running in their direction soon filling her ears along with a woman's voice calling out, "Domini...domini you're in no condition to be running!" Domini having gotten wind of the battle the moment she was dressed and raced out to see if everything was alright. "Okaa-san is everything okay...Lady Sian are you injured?" "Yeah no thanks to your family..." Domini would immediately look to her mother and father then in direction of the front lawn which had been trashed, at battered Ayana, and finally at Mina who had come out of hiding. "Alright what the heck did you all do?" Mina said, "Nothing we didn't need to do kiddo is all, besides she survived it and she passed our test with flying colors." Sian's face would immediately go blank at the mention of what just happned being a test. "Test? What test...i didnt know anything about no test." she protested sitting Ayane down on the ground as Sayuri and Mina laughed. "The test was simple...Lady Sian, it was to see if you and Suijin-sama could overcome the adversity of the reishi here in Japan by working together as a team and thereby proving to the other Gods that you both deserved to be one and the same person verses being two seperate enities." Sayuri explains walking over to where Ayana was in order to begin the process of healing her with own spiritual powers. "And this test....i passed, right?" "Do you see Suijin-sama any where around?" Mina asked her gesturing to the place in which they all stood, prompting Sian to realizing that when she did in fact look Suijin was indeed gone. Suijin's voice would against fill her young charge's thoughts hissing, "Damn sun goddess and her jokes that wasn't a bit funny to say the least." and on and on she went causing Sian to groan irratiably. "Yall know you've just pissed her the hell off right....and I GOT to hear this shit for the REST of the day?" "We'll make an offering at her temple and along with our apologies later but for now its best we all get inside. There is much to discuss and much more you need to learn before we can begin your training at the grounds tomorrow." Mina explains brushing the matter off to side to get to the point her purple eyes falling upon the youngest of her cousin's and seeing the aura of another that was about to come. "By the way Domini any luck telling that boyfriend of yours?" "MINA-SAMA!!!" "Telling him what?!" both Aki and Sayuri asked looking at their daughter wondering just what was Mina talking about. Category:Ark 25 Category:Invoking the Seal Saga